Hurricane “Ailza” as the fifth – strongest – category made landfall on Friday night near the sparsely populated Pardo. The city is a 19-hour drive northeast of Perth.
Photos from the scene show some damage, such as collapsed walls and a ripped-off roof at the gas station.
Todd Smith, representative of the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, informed that during the hurricane the wind speed exceeded 289 kilometers per hour or 80 meters per second, which is considered the strongest wind recorded in Australia.
However, preliminary information shows that the settlements have not been badly affected and no major damage has been caused.
“Ailza” was registered as the strongest storm in Australia, its average wind speed in a ten-minute period reaching 60.6 meters per second. The previous record – 53.9 meters per second – was achieved in 2007 by cyclone “George”.
After making landfall, Aizla lost its strength and was downgraded to a Category 2 storm. However, authorities are warning of threats to several remote Aboriginal communities and one of the gold mines.
The world’s largest iron ore logistics hub was shut down this week as a storm formed in the Indian Ocean, reopening on Friday.
Cyclones usually lose strength quickly after making landfall, but Ailza is forecast to be unusually strong as it moves across the desert Outback in the coming days.
Australian researchers have repeatedly warned that the risks of natural disasters – wildfires, floods and storms – are increasing as a result of climate change.
